A New Partner in Crime
by thunderball10
Summary: The Joker goes on yet another bank spree, only to discover someone else got there first...for his approval.
1. Chapter 1

A New Partner in Crime

The night was dark and empty. All but two men stood out in the front of the Gotham City Bank. One kept watch, while the other was breaking the gates open. After unlocking the chains that bounded the building doors, the lookout made a signal to the van that stood on the sidewalk.

The Joker was the first to step out, a few other men followed. The Joker took in a breath and exhaled, as if this was going to be a good evening. "Nothing like to rob a bank on a nice dark day." He said with a sarcastic tone. He and the others walked inside the unchained gate. The Joker cleared his throat while holding out his hand, and one of the men provided him with a large bomb throwing bazooka gun.

Liking his lips, as this was a habit; he steadied the gun on his shoulder and shot towards the glass doors, shattering it to pieces. He then let out a huge breath, and motioned to the others. "Alright now, shall we?" He stepped inside, while the men took every penny they could. The Joker however, felt something…funny. He started looking around suspiciously. Is someone here or what? Then he shook his head, of course no one is there. The whole damn place was locked. All that was heard is the ringing sirens in the room when they broke in. Nothing else. Suddenly another sound was heard…from a distance…police sirens.

"Joker?" One of the guys muttered nervously. They were starting to panic. The Joker just raised his eyebrows, and turned to his minions. "Let's go." He said. And just as they were headed out, everybody heard a light giggle. "I knew someone was here!" The Joker snarled. He snatched out a gun from his pocket. "Who's there?" the giggling went on again- a women giggle. "Come on!" The Joker yelled. "Where are you?"

"You'll have to search me to find out." The voice answered, with a childlike plea. A noise startled the group, making The Joker shoot towards that direction. The giggle turned into a loud laughter. "What a clever move." The voice responded. The Joker clenched his jaw. Whoever is here is trying to play tricks on him. "Why don't you just come on out-enough with the hiding and seeking huh?"

There was silence among them, moments later a sound was heard again. A figure was flipping acrobatically across the floor. One of the guys panicked and shot out a bullet, making the rest do the same. But the figure was too fast for them to catch and she dodged each one. The Joker raised up both arms. "Hold it!" They all stopped shooting, and everybody, including The Joker caught a silhouette standing a few feet away.

The Joker decided to take a closer look. He walked steadily near the figure, who smiled seductively at him. He checked her out a little. She was a slim young woman, like The Joker, her face was covered in white make-up except it was flawless, with dark eye shadow among the eyes, as well as black lipstick among the lips. She wore a checkered red and black costume that covered her whole body; it looked somewhat like a joker's costume.

He licked his lips once again. His eyes looked to her from head to toe. "And…what do they call you?" He asked. Her smile grew wider with glee. "You can call me-Stilts, Mr. Joker.?" He raised his eyebrows and nodded. Perhaps he wouldn't mind having a "partner in crime", besides- he does like what he sees. "Well…" He checked her out again. "I think I'll take you along, we have…many adventures to get to"


	2. Chapter 2

A New Partner in Crime-Ch.1

The night was dark and empty. All but two men stood out in the front of the Gotham City Bank. One kept watch, while the other was breaking the gates open. After unlocking the chains that bounded the building doors, the lookout made a signal to the van that stood on the sidewalk.

The Joker was the first to step out, a few other men followed. The Joker took in a breath and exhaled, as if this was going to be a good evening. "Nothing like to rob a bank on a nice dark day." He said with a sarcastic tone. He and the others walked inside the unchained gate. The Joker cleared his throat while holding out his hand, and one of the men provided him with a large bomb throwing bazooka gun.

Liking his lips, as this was a habit; he steadied the gun on his shoulder and shot towards the glass doors, shattering it to pieces. He then let out a huge breath, and motioned to the others. "Alright now, shall we?" He stepped inside, while the men took every penny they could. The Joker however, felt something…funny. He started looking around suspiciously. Is someone here or what? Then he shook his head, of course no one is there. The whole damn place was locked. All that was heard is the ringing sirens in the room when they broke in. Nothing else. Suddenly another sound was heard…from a distance…police sirens.

"Joker?" One of the guys muttered nervously. They were starting to panic. The Joker just raised his eyebrows, and turned to his minions. "Let's go." He said. And just as they were headed out, everybody heard a light giggle. "I knew someone was here!" The Joker snarled. He snatched out a gun from his pocket. "Who's there?" the giggling went on again- a women giggle. "Come on!" The Joker yelled. "Where are you?"

"You'll have to search me to find out." The voice answered, with a childlike plea. A noise startled the group, making The Joker shoot towards that direction. The giggle turned into a loud laughter. "What a clever move." The voice responded. The Joker clenched his jaw. Whoever is here is trying to play tricks on him. "Why don't you just come on out-enough with the hiding and seeking huh?"

There was silence among them, moments later a sound was heard again. A figure was flipping acrobatically across the floor. One of the guys panicked and shot out a bullet, making the rest do the same. But the figure was too fast for them to catch and she dodged each one. The Joker raised up both arms. "Hold it!" They all stopped shooting, and everybody, including The Joker caught a silhouette standing a few feet away.

The Joker decided to take a closer look. He walked steadily near the figure, who smiled seductively at him. He checked her out a little. She was a slim young woman, like The Joker, her face was covered in white make-up except it was flawless, with dark eye shadow among the eyes, as well as black lipstick among the lips. She wore a checkered red and black costume that covered her whole body; it looked somewhat like a joker's costume.

He licked his lips once again. His eyes looked to her from head to toe. "And…what do they call you?" He asked. Her smile grew wider with glee. "You can call me-Stilts, Mr. Joker.?" He raised his eyebrows and nodded. Perhaps he wouldn't mind having a "partner in crime", besides- he does like what he sees. "Well…" He checked her out again. "I think I'll take you along, we have…many adventures to get to"

**Chapter 2**

It wasn't long after the crooks left that the cops and detectives arrived, scattered around the robbed scene. Commissioner Gordon stepped into the bank vault. His observation was a quick one, of course it was quite obvious who stroked again. "Joker". He whispered to himself as he picked up the card off the floor.

"Commissioner?" A cop called out. Gordon then turned, Batman stood there before him as the cop walked away. "Him again." He said casually in his low, strong voice. "Yeah, apparently he just doesn't give up." Gordon walked over to him. "I checked the cameras." The Commissioner nodded in response. "And?" The Dark Knight gave a frankly serious answer. "Someone was there before him." Gordon looked concerned. "Maybe he was involved?" A slight silence filled the area. "It was her." The man in black said. The commissioner sighed deeply. It's been a week since they've heard of a new criminal in Gotham City, referring herself as Harley Quinn. She was like The Joker in many ways: clever mined, and always so quick to get inside someone's head, like a reverse psychology. Coincidentally, she was heard of around the time The Joker escaped from the Arkham Asylem.

**Joker's hideout**

"So, Ms. Harley Quinn…" The Joker stood closely near the costumed woman as she stood smiling at him. "Obviously you must've known of my-banking trip, for you to be there before me and my minions." "You think?" Harley Quinn gave him an innocent expression. "Of course not." She explained with a chuckle. "This happens to be my first week on the crime scene; it's not the first time _I_ paid visits to the bank ya know." "Hm, really? Funny we've never met before." He began to walk around her in circles, catching her slim body with his dark eyes. "Quite impressive how I was fooled into thinking the bank was untouched." He said with dark enthusiasm. Shouldn't it be him to outdo the people and not the other way around?

"Well, let's just say I had a little trick up my sleeve." She pulled out a keychain filled with many multi-sized keys on it. "Knocked a few security officers out, locked _them_ up and the place was all mine!" She excluded that with infinite delight. The Joker couldn't help but smile, he truly liked where he was going with this girl. "By the way, I've heard a lot about you Mr. Joker." She said. He eyed her with interest, yet also with suspicion. "And exactly what do you know about me? I mean there's much to learn." They stood face-to-face, the Joker anxiously waited for her response. "I know of your real motives, what- or should I say _who_ you're really after." Her tone was serious, but it still held that gleeful edge to it. "The Batman perhaps." The clown-faced man raised his head. "Oh, so you know of him as well."

Harley Quinn chuckled once again. How cute it seemed to him. "You know, I'm also interested in this Bat myself. Perhaps I can help you." "And how's that? I'm usually solo." She quickly put her hands on his shoulders. "Let me help you, we can both go after this Bat together, and maybe…we could get inside his head to see who he really is." It took him quite a while to think about it, finally… "Sounds like fun cutie." He responded. "All we need to do is to throw out a few ultimatums into getting what we want from him." The harlequin laughed lightly. "It will take a little more than just a few ultimatums. A little psychology goes a long way, don't you think?" "Of course, I so like what you're getting at." He gently patted her face on the side with his hand and chuckled deeply, yet like her, playfully. "My little Harley Quinn, you truly are an adorable genius."

Dr. Harleen Quinzel woke up from her bed. The blades of the morning sun cut dimly through her ivory-colored blinds. As she sat up she began to stretch and slightly yawn, then a smile came along her lips as she remembered her last night with the "clown prince of crime" himself-the Joker. She was still wearing the harlequin costume, along with the makeup. She was so exhausted from the night's adventure she forgot to change before going off to sleep. Silence was circling through the apartment, she sometimes hated it. Reaching over to grab the remote, she turned on the television. The morning news was on. Of course it reported about last night's bank robbing, and about whether it was the Joker or Harley Quinn's doing,_ or both_. Harleen glanced over to where the band of keys was lying near the dresser.

She knew it- she knew despite her being a successful psychiatrist herself, helping others with their problems and all; _she_ also had something inside of her that she wanted to let out. Her meeting with the Joker last night wasn't the first. She met him at the Arkham Asylum where he was locked up. He toyed with her like he would do anybody else, telling her why he did those crimes, which were quite disturbing. But in some way…he fascinated her. He was doing these wrongdoings, however he explained why in such a logical, reasonable way, especially when it came to what others think-it felt as if she should be on his side.

Harleen wanted to be part of it too, she wanted to let out her dark side, and perhaps be near his. Helping him escape the mental institution wasn't as hard as she thought. All it took was to pull that alarm, forcing security to scatter around for the troublemaker, grabbing the keys one of them foolishly left on the desk, and secretly unlocking the clown-face's cell. Good thing he didn't know it was her-that would've ruined everything. Now she had a new patient- a famous one too. It was time for her to start her day then, for tonight she had some fun plans with her "clown prince."


End file.
